"At First Blush"

I post verse fresh at the earliest stage,

Acceptable seeming then — at first blush;

But later, clear flaws leap out from the page,

I rely on your pardon for the rush.

To pause and polish would halt the cascade;

Fear of judgment stills the mental burst.

So I offer half-formed lines, yet low-grade,

That show my poetic skills at their worst.

Within this stream of work, both weak and strong,

A gem appears that far exceeds my skill—

A sudden light that does not quite belong

To what I know, that justifies the spill.

   Forgive the middling drafts I toss your way;

   It's not the final product (just foreplay).

October 22, 2026